IP Library Granted Patent US 11,848,824
Granted Patent B2
US 11,848,824 · App. 17/503,455 · Granted Dec 19, 2023

Distributed auto discovery service

Inventors: Pranav Ashok Shenoy (Bangalore, IN); Rohit Pradeep Shetty (Bangalore, IN)
Assignee: VMWARE, INC.
H04L41/12H04L63/0853H04L67/51
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,848,824
App. No.
17/503,455
Granted
Dec 19, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

Methods and systems are described for a distributed auto discovery service for device enrollment. In an example, a user device enrolling in a Unified Endpoint Management (“UEM”) system can receive an email address. The enrolling user device can identify, on a local network that the enrolling user device is connected to, other user devices that are already enrolled with the UEM system. The unenrolled user device can send a discovery request to the enrolled user devices that includes the domain of the email address. One or more of the enrolled user devices can respond with a tenant identifier associated with the domain and a Uniform Resource Locator for a server that the unenrolled user device can contact to complete enrollment. The unenrolled user device can contact the server and complete enrollment using the email address and tenant identifier.

Claims (49)

1. A method for distributing an auto discovery service in a Unified Endpoint Management (“UEM”) system, comprising:

receiving, at an unenrolled user device that is not enrolled with the UEM system, an email address;

determining, by the unenrolled user device, a network address for at least a first enrolled user device on a local network that the unenrolled user device is connected to;

prior to sending an enrollment request to an enrollment server, sending, by the unenrolled user device to the first enrolled user device, a discovery request, wherein the discovery request includes a request for a tenant identifier (“ID”) and a Uniform Resource Locator (“URL”) of the enrollment server associated with a domain of the email address;

receiving, by the unenrolled user device from the first enrolled user device, the tenant ID and the enrollment server URL; and

sending, by the unenrolled user device, an enrollment request to the enrollment server using the enrollment server URL, wherein the enrollment request includes the tenant ID and wherein enrollment grants administrative access of the unenrolled user device to the UEM system.

2. The method of claim 1 , the method further comprising:

determining, by the unenrolled user device, a network address of a second enrolled user device connected to the local network;

sending, by the unenrolled user device and to the second enrolled user device, the discovery request;

receiving, by the unenrolled user device and from the second enrolled user device; the tenant ID and the enrollment server URL; and

prior to sending the enrollment request, verifying, by the unenrolled user device, that the tenant IDs and enrollment server URLs received from the first and second enrolled user devices match.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the unenrolled user device receives the tenant ID and the enrollment server URL from the first enrolled user device over Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or Near-Field Communication.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the unenrolled user device sends the discovery request to a predetermined connect port on which the first enrolled user device is configured to listen for discovery requests.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the discovery request includes the domain of the email address, and wherein the tenant ID and the enrollment server URL provided by the first enrolled user device are based on the domain.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first enrolled device is connected to the local network using a virtual private network connection.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the unenrolled user device waits to receive a predetermined minimum number of matching responses from enrolled user devices before sending an enrollment request to the enrollment server.

8. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium containing instructions that, when executed by a hardware-based processor, performs stages for distributing an auto discovery service in a Unified Endpoint Management (“UEM”) system, the stages comprising:

receiving, at an unenrolled user device that is not enrolled with the UEM system, an email address;

determining, by the unenrolled user device, a network address for at least a first enrolled user device on a local network that the unenrolled user device is connected to;

prior to sending an enrollment request to an enrollment server, sending, by the unenrolled user device to the first enrolled user device, a discovery request, wherein the discovery request includes a request for a tenant identifier (“ID”) and a Uniform Resource Locator (“URL”) of the enrollment server associated with a domain on the email address;

receiving, by the unenrolled user device from the first enrolled user device, the tenant ID and the enrollment server URL; and

sending, by the unenrolled user device, an enrollment request to the enrollment server using the enrollment server URL, wherein the enrollment request includes the tenant ID and wherein enrollment grants administrative access of the unenrolled user device to the UEM system.

9. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 8 , the stages further comprising:

determining, by the unenrolled user device, a network address of a second enrolled user device connected to the local network;

sending, by the unenrolled user device and to the second enrolled user device, the discovery request;

receiving, by the unenrolled user device and from the second enrolled user device; the tenant ID and the enrollment server URL; and

prior to sending the enrollment request, verifying, by the unenrolled user device, that the tenant IDs and enrollment server URLs received from the first and second enrolled user devices match.

10. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the unenrolled user device receives the tenant ID and the enrollment server URL from the first enrolled user device over Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or Near-Field Communication.

11. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the unenrolled user device sends the discovery request to a predetermined connect port on which the first enrolled user device is configured to listen for discovery requests.

12. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the discovery request includes the domain of the email address, and wherein the tenant ID and the enrollment server URL provided by the first enrolled user device are based on the domain.

13. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the first enrolled device is connected to the local network using a virtual private network connection.

14. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the unenrolled user device waits to receive a predetermined minimum number of matching responses from enrolled user devices before sending an enrollment request to the enrollment server.

15. A system for distributing an auto discovery service in a Unified Endpoint Management (“UEM”) system, comprising:

a memory storage including a non-transitory, computer-readable medium comprising instructions; and

a computing device including a hardware-based processor that executes the instructions to carry out stages comprising:

receiving, at an unenrolled user device that is not enrolled with the UEM system, an email address from a user;

determining, by the unenrolled user device, a network address for at least a first enrolled user device on a local network that the unenrolled user device is connected to;

prior to sending an enrollment request to an enrollment server, sending, by the unenrolled user device to the first enrolled user device, a discovery request, wherein the discovery request includes a request for a tenant identifier (“ID”) and a Uniform Resource Locator (“URL”) of the enrollment server associated with a domain on the email address;

receiving, by the unenrolled user device from the first enrolled user device, the tenant ID and the enrollment server URL; and

sending, by the unenrolled user device, an enrollment request to the enrollment server using the enrollment server URL, wherein the enrollment request includes the tenant ID and wherein enrollment grants administrative access of the unenrolled user device to the UEM system.

16. The system of claim 15 , the stages further comprising:

determining, by the unenrolled user device, a network address of a second enrolled user device connected to the local network;

sending, by the unenrolled user device and to the second enrolled user device, the discovery request;

receiving, by the unenrolled user device and from the second enrolled user device; the tenant ID and the enrollment server URL; and

prior to sending the enrollment request, verifying, by the unenrolled user device, that the tenant IDs and enrollment server URLs received from the first and second enrolled user devices match.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the unenrolled user device receives the tenant ID and the enrollment server URL from the first enrolled user device over Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or Near-Field Communication.

18. The system of claim 15 , wherein the unenrolled user device sends the discovery request to a predetermined connect port on which the first enrolled user device is configured to listen for discovery requests.

19. The system of claim 15 , wherein the discovery request includes the domain of the email address, and wherein the tenant ID and the enrollment server URL provided by the first enrolled user device are based on the domain.

20. The system of claim 15 , wherein the first enrolled device is connected to the local network using a virtual private network connection.

Assignments (4)
PATENT ASSIGNMENT Recorded Aug 5, 2024
From: VMWARE LLC
To: OMNISSA, LLC
Reel/Frame 068327/0365 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 3, 2024
From: OMNISSA, LLC
To: UBS AG, STAMFORD BRANCH
Reel/Frame 068118/0004 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Apr 15, 2024
From: VMWARE, INC.
To: VMWARE LLC
Reel/Frame 067102/0395 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 18, 2021
From: SHENOY, PRANAV ASHOK; SHETTY, ROHIT PRADEEP
To: VMWARE, INC.
Reel/Frame 057817/0182 →
Priority Claims (1)
IN 202141033182 · Jul 23, 2021 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230025486A1 · Jan 26, 2023